Onions with high storage ability, high soluble solids content and/or low pungency

Abstract

Long-day onion plants, capable of producing onion bulbs comprising ‘high soluble solids’ combined with a ‘sweet taste’ as a result of low pungency, are provided, as are methods for producing such plants, bulbs and seeds. Such onions can be stored for long periods without a loss in quality and without an increase in pungency.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A long-day onion plant, or part or seed thereof, wherein said plant is of a variety that produces bulbs having (i) a mean Pyruvic Acid Development (PAD) measurement at harvest of less than 5.5 μMol pyruvate/g fresh weight (FW); and (ii) a storage decay of less than 10% after about 4 months,
 wherein the plant derives from onions designated I37853B, I37554A, or I37554B, a representative sample of seeds having been deposited under ATCC Accession Nos. PTA-9053, PTA-9054 and PTA-9055, respectively, 
 wherein the storage decay is assessed by weighing non-decayed bulbs and comparing their weight to the total weight at the beginning of storage, and 
 wherein the mean PAD measurement at harvest and storage decay is determined using bulbs from onion plants of the same variety and grown under the same environmental conditions. 
 
     
     
         22 . The onion plant of  claim 21 , wherein said mean PAD measurement at harvest is less than 4.0 μMol pyruvate/g FW. 
     
     
         23 . The onion plant of  claim 21 , wherein the mean PAD measurement after 5-6 months of storage is equal to or less than 3.75 μMol pyruvate/g FW. 
     
     
         24 . The onion plant of  claim 21 , wherein said bulbs have a mean soluble solids content (SSC) at harvest of at least 8%. 
     
     
         25 . The onion plant of  claim 24 , wherein said SSC is reduced by less than 2% after storage for at least 4 months. 
     
     
         26 . The onion plant of  claim 21 , wherein said PAD measurement is reduced after storage compared to the PAD measurement at harvest. 
     
     
         27 . The onion plant of  claim 26 , wherein the pungency level of the most pungent bulb and least pungent bulb differ by at most 4 μMol pyruvate/g FW. 
     
     
         28 . The onion plant of  claim 27 , wherein all bulbs have a pungency between 1 and 4 μMol pyruvate/g FW. 
     
     
         29 . A cell of the onion plant of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         30 . A seed of the onion plant of  claim 21  or part thereof, wherein said seed grows into a plant that produces bulbs having a mean PAD measurement at harvest of less than 4.5 μMol pyruvate/g fresh weight (FW). 
     
     
         31 . A bulb of the onion plant of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         32 . A container comprising a plurality of bulbs of  claim 31 . 
     
     
         33 . A container comprising a plurality of bulbs, wherein at least 75% of the bulbs are bulbs of  claim 31 . 
     
     
         34 . The container according to  claim 33 , wherein said container comprises at least 1 pound of bulbs. 
     
     
         35 . A part of the onion plant of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         36 . The part according to  claim 35 , wherein said part is a cell or cell culture, a tissue culture, a protoplast, an ovule, a leaf, pollen, an ovule, a meristem, an embryo, or a plant organ. 
     
     
         37 . A part of a seed of  claim 30 . 
     
     
         38 . A part of a bulb of  claim 31 . 
     
     
         39 . A method for producing a long-day onion comprising crossing an onion plant of  claim 21 , with a second onion plant, and obtaining F1 seeds from said cross. 
     
     
         40 . An onion produced by the method of  claim 39  or part thereof,
 wherein the onion derives from onions designated I37853B, I37554A, or I37554B, a representative sample of seeds having been deposited under ATCC Accession Nos. PTA-9053, PTA-9054 and PTA-9055, respectively, is present in said onion; 
 wherein said onion is of a variety that produces bulbs having (i) a mean Pyruvic Acid Development (PAD) measurement at harvest of less than 5.5 μMol pyruvate/g fresh weight (FW); and (ii) a storage decay of less than 10% after about 4 months, 
 wherein the storage decay is assessed by weighing non-decayed bulbs and comparing their weight to the total weight at the beginning of storage; and 
 wherein the mean PAD measurement at harvest and storage decay is determined using bulbs from onion plants of the same variety and grown under the same environmental conditions. 
 
     
     
         41 . The plant part of  claim 40 , wherein said part is a cell or cell culture, a tissue culture, a protoplast, an ovule, a leaf, pollen, an ovule, a meristem, an embryo, or a plant organ. 
     
     
         42 . A method for producing a long-day onion comprising crossing an F1 long-day onion plant with a second onion plant, and obtaining F2 seeds from said cross,
 wherein said F2 long-day onion plant is of a variety that produces bulbs having (i) a mean Pyruvic Acid Development (PAD) measurement at harvest of less than 5.5 μMol pyruvate/g fresh weight (FW); and (ii) a storage decay of less than 10% after about 4 months,   wherein the F1 and F2 long-day onion plant derive from onions designated I37853B, I37554A, or I37554B, a representative sample of seeds having been deposited under ATCC Accession Nos. PTA-9053, PTA-9054 and PTA-9055, respectively,   wherein the storage decay is assessed by weighing non-decayed bulbs and comparing their weight to the total weight at the beginning of storage; and wherein the mean PAD measurement at harvest and storage decay is determined using bulbs from onion plants of the same variety and grown under the same environmental conditions.